What to do with 10 old Nikkormat bodies?

[MEPER]

I have approx. 10 of these (FT, FTN, FT2) just standing of a shelf. I could use the shelf for other purpose.
I don't have patience to try to sell one by one and also they are close to worthless.
Are there still a small market for film?
If there is I guess a Nikkormat would not be 1. or 2. choice?
So what would you do with these?    .....probably not just trash them?

If I should shoot film again I would use a FE2, FM2, F2, F3, F4  .....but not a Nikkormat.

[Hugh_3170]

Some colleges are still teaching film photography. 

Maybe your Nikkormats would make a nice class set if you were to donate them - after all not many sources of new film cameras anymore.

The FT3 - the last model - was my favourite Nikkormat.

[David H. Hartman]

Some colleges are still teaching film photography. 

Maybe your Nikkormats would make a nice class set if you were to donate them - after all not many sources of new film cameras anymore.

The FT3 - the last model - was my favourite Nikkormat.

The Nikkormat series are fine professional film cameras. In the day many professional photographers owned a Nikkormat FTn or FT2 for the faster 1/125 second X-Sync. My first serious camera was a Nikkormat FTn which I soon sold to my father so I could buy a used Nikon F with a 135/2.8 Nikkor-Q. I quicly traded the 135/2.8 for a 105/2.5 Nikkor-P.

One issue with earlier Nikkormat(s) is probably a battery for the meter as the FTn used a Mercury battery but if students are using these cameras for learning film photography a hand held light meter would be a good learning tool. The Nikkormat FT3 probably uses the S-76 battery which last I checked was still available. The Nikkormat FT3 accepts all (or almost all) F-Bayonet Nikkor lenses from 1959 through AI-S, AF and AF-D Nikkors. The Nikkormat(s) had a mechanical mirror lockup so they probably accept lenses like the 21cm f/4.0 Nikkor-O. The FT3 had a flip up meter coupling lever to accept pre-AI Nikkors. Stop down metering was available for the FNn through FT3.

I have fond memories of the Nikormat(s) and wish I owned one today. If I had the time and money I'd shoot Tri-X and I'd love to print B&W again in a classic wet darkroom.

Dave

[Bent Hjarbo]

I do think that there are buyers for these nice cameras.
A Facebook exists in Denmark for analog photography, must be some there that would like one of these nice cameras.
I have one myself, but don’t get a lot of use these days.

[MEPER]

Ok....I will check with Facebook.....if that is possible with no profile.......
Maybe I will find others which finds those cameras useful.
There are no FT3 among them. There is one EL2 but don't think this is a Nikkormat.....
Some of the Nikkormats has developed a slow 1, 1/2, 1/4 sec......and probably the foam has to be exchanged of some of them.
Therefor one which has a hobby to CLA these could be nice. Maybe the analog Facebook group has a person in the group that can do this.
Think I also have some "repair sets" of foam for Nikkormats I got some years back.....
The old foam transforms to some nasty "glue like" mess....

[David H. Hartman]

There is one EL2 but don't think this is a Nikkormat.

Nikkormat EL, EL-W and EL2 models were sold in the US. The Nikon EL2 was the same basic body as the Nikkormat EL-W. The Nikkormat EL was Nikon's first Aperture Preferred auto exposure camera. I owned a Nikon EL2. It was an AI era camera with SBC metering cells and it had a flip up meter coupling lever so pre-AI Nikkor could be used.

Dave

[MEPER]

Yes, it has that lever. It as repaired on my EL2 by the top Nikon repair person here where I live on a private basis after he retired.....then foam etc. as also changed. So this camera is in good condition.
It has the battery inside the mirror box in the bottom. Not very practical......
Then it has a battery check push button at the rear......and it seems there is an attachment for a drive......

[MEPER]

OK.....yes.....lift up for the AI-coupling.......I miss-interpreted this for the mirror lift up arm.......

[MEPER]

There is also a Nikkormat EL.....just checked.....

[Eddie Draaisma]

Yes there is a Nikkormat EL, it was called Nikomat EL for certain markets.

As David mentions, the Nikon EL2 is basically a Nikkormat EL with the then new ai coupling.

There was also a Nikkormat ELW, with couplings for the AW-1 winder. The EL2 had the same couplings.

I have a black Nikon EL2  in very nice condition on permanent display, IMHO one of the better looking Nikons.

https://imaging.nikon.com/history/chronicle/cousins08-e/index.htm

[David H. Hartman]

It has the battery inside the mirror box in the bottom. Not very practical......
Then it has a battery check push button at the rear......and it seems there is an attachment for a drive......

I'm trying to remember the battery. It was a 6v silver oxide battery that may have contained four S-76 batteries in a metal sleeve. I used to buy the 6v battery and peal it open carefully with needle nose pliers to get four S-76 batteries at a savings for other cameras. 

The Nikkormat EL-W and Nikon EL2 accepted a 1 frame per minute second auto winder.

Dave

Nikkormat EL Series by Nikon at Photography in Malaysia

Nikkormats - Preface at Photography in Malaysia

[MEPER]

I still have a battery for the EL/EL2. It is a Varta V28PXL Lithium (6V).
I don't have the motor drive. A MD-12 for the FE2 will probably not fit but it has a nice sound :-)
A classic sound but probably not as classic as the F3 with MD4 :-)

[Eddie Draaisma]

The Nikkormat EL-W and Nikon EL2 accepted a 1 frame per minute auto winder.

It was actually 60 times faster than that 

[David H. Hartman]

It was actually 60 times faster than that 

Got it. 

---

Varta still sells V28PX (silver) and V28PXL (Lithium) batteries so the Nikkormat EL, EL-W and Nikon EL-2 cameras can still be powered up. Without a battery the Nikon EL2 defaults to 1/90 sec.

[MEPER]

Yes, that is an advantage for the EL's that a battery is available. For the older Nikkormats only 1.5V (and not 1.35V) is available.....unless a special adapter is used.....
Think the old batteris contained quicksilver which was forbidden......back then.....